The Olympic Games are always a special time and provide an opportunity to learn about the journeys that elite athletes have taken to reach the pinnacle of their sport. No matter what event an athlete competes in, or what country they represent, there are a few traits that unite these talented people. There are many […]
PACCAR, a maker of large transport trucks, was in big trouble in the 1980’s. Some may recall the late 1970’s and 80’s when strong Asian competition enter the North American automotive market. However, it was the Europeans who provided the strong foreign competition in the large haul class 8 truck market. Daimler had picked up […]
In 1976 Anita Roddick opened The Body Shop skin care store in Brighton England. She was a pioneer in the cosmetics industry tapping into a customer segment that was concerned for the environment, animal welfare and a desire to use “natural” cosmetic products that were ethically sourced. An activist at heart, Ms. Roddick believed a […]
Manufacturing an iconic brand isn’t enough. To ensure survival, management must have a passion to lead the market in new directions and keep introducing value adding innovations. While Johnson and Evinrude outboard motors aren’t the first iconic brands to nose dive into oblivion, what they did do well was to provide is a great example […]
A technical advantage doesn’t always translate into a competitive market advantage. To fully realize a competitive market advantage, you must ensure the product meets the standard of a ‘minimal viable product’. This means there are certain criteria customers expect you to meet to be considered as an alternative purchase. As Bombardier discovered with its ill-fated […]
Read More… from Flying too Close to the Sun – the C-Series passenger Jet
While on holidays, I overheard my wife’s online Yoga instructor say “Where attention goes, energy flows”. Her quote spilling out of the yoga studio gave me pause and I thought how this maxim equally applies to business and how important it is for business leaders to ensure the attention of the business is focused in […]
Admit it … we all pray. I’m not speaking in religious terms but over centuries people have prayed to different deities for many reasons….protection from aggressors, for rain to grow crops, sunshine to harvest them. In my case it might have been for my hockey team to snatch success from the jaws of defeat or […]
Most of our newsletters are about launching new products and opening new markets. Often glossed over are those tricky points in time when a company needs to navigate through a market transition – those tectonic shifts where everything you know to be true suddenly isn’t. We’ve all seen how on-line advertising shifted the media markets […]
Senior managers gather in a ballroom for a presentation on the Vision of the Future. Lights are dimmed and music is cued for the dramatic announcement of the corporate vision …. “To be the most respected and successful company in their industry”. The PowerPoint fades to a slick video emphasizing the strategic goals of ‘Market […]
Read More… from Strategy….The Good, the Ugly and the really Bad
The Turkish division of a large European medical equipment manufacturer was facing a major challenge. Until this point they’d mostly controlled the market but a major USA manufacturer, (and their main competitor globally) was moving in. The American competitor had already muscled into other European markets and was now itching to establish a foothold in […]
